Souledtrafford

‘Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for the Real James Brown’ by James McBride. Published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson ISBN-13: 978-1474603638. When it comes to the listening side of soul music, there are still one or two avenues down which I have yet to wander, however, I enjoy nothing better than reading about the wide spectrum of sounds and more so the artists who created that music, whether it be in those dedicatedly produced fanzines of yesteryear, or the numerous books that find their way onto the marketplace. Although there have been numerous books written about “The Godfather of Soul”, “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business”, or whatever title you care to bestow on him, I had only ever pencilled ‘a James Brown book’ onto my ‘must read’ list. That changed with the arrival of “Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for the Real James Brown” by James McBride. At times it helps knowing little about the subject matter as you can then approach a book with a completely open mind and of James Brown I knew nothing more than the basics, so I began turning the pages ready to learn more about the man with countless nicknames, but only one truly unique sound. Brown was born in 1933, near Barnwell in South Carolina, going on to win some forty-four gold records and countless awards from the music industry, whilst amassing, and losing, and amassing again, a small fortune, that after his death was to cause countless problems for those left in at the forefront of it all. As you turn the pages of James McBride’s well written and never boring book, Brown comes across as a man who trusts only a few, something that was far from being a negative approach, as a very high percentage of his fellow entertainers were pure and simply ripped off by all and sundry. Banks were high on Brown’s ‘no-go’ list, with his hard earned money ending up buried in back gardens, or hidden under hotel carpets, with the singer re-visiting the latter, sometimes a year later in order to retrieve the thousands of dollars that many had been walking across in the intervening period. All this of course did little to help when he came up against the might of the IRS. Money was also a huge problem following his death, when everyone wanted their share, from long forgotten family members to greedy lawyers despite his will stating that his estimated $100 million fortune be used to educate poor children in South Carolina. As yet, they are still waiting! But what of the book in question? Did I find the ‘real James Brown’ at the end of its 256 pages? Difficult to say really. I certainly learned a bit more about the man himself and McBride, an accomplished musician, and a noted author, takes you through the troubled times of a true music legend, but to be honest, the book tells you more about Brown’s entourage and backing band members, one who ended up living on this side of the Atlantic, than the man himself. These stories in themselves give this book an added edge. It does create a shadowy picture of a troubled man, but a man who knew what he wanted and where he wanted to go, a man who knew how to work his audience – arrive at the venue, onto the stage, do his set and back on the road – “kill ‘em and leave” was indeed his catch phrase. Should you want a biography, detailing the life and times of James Brown, then have a look at the other fourteen books on the man, but if you want to get below the surface a little, get the story from those who were there, those who at the end of the line suffered through no fault of their own, then you will enjoy this title. Unlike many autobiographies or biographies, it is neither boring, nor dull and it does give an insight into the complicated nature of Brown’s life. I suppose in a way, it does, in the end reveal the real James Brown. So, how do I rate it? For its simplicity, the recollections of those who were around the singers as he took the music scene by storm and for it being an enjoyable read, I would give it 4 out of 5. With just a little bit more about the man himself, it would probably have edged a 5 Iain McCartney April 2016 More info About the author (2016) James McBride is the author of the National Book Award winner and New York Times bestseller The Good Lord Bird, as well as the bestselling novels Song Yet Sung and Miracle at St. Anna, and the #1 New York Times bestseller The Color of Water. He is also a saxophonist and composer who teaches music to children in the Red Hook, Brooklyn, housing projects where he was born, and a Distinguished Writer in Residence at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at NYU. Bibliographic information Hardcover: 256 pages Publisher: W&N (5 April 2016) Language: English ISBN-10: 1474603637 ISBN-13: 978-1474603638 Various Editions available Kindle, Hard cover, Paperback and Audio but appears the paperback ain't out in the UK till 2017 http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/219828/kill-em-and-leave-by-james-mcbride/9780812993509/# Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for the Real James Brown

MOTOWN – THE SOUND OF YOUNG AMERICA BY ADAM WHITE and BARNEY ALES PUBLISHED BY THAMES and HUDSON LTD Not another Motown book, I can hear some/many of you mutter, and to be honest, I have to include myself amongst them. My bookshelves contain numerous titles on the sound that could be judged as the stepping stone to Northern Soul and beyond, with an assortment of authors, artists and those associated with the Detroit label telling their versions of the phenomenal story that took over our lives all those years ago. All those books have their own merits, with some enjoyed more than others. This latest title, however, is a real heavyweight compared to the others and would put any bookshelf under severe strain with its 400 A4 pages. At first glance, this is an excellent, no expenses spared publication, from its kaleidoscopic montage of Motown acts which appear on the hard cover through the transparent ‘M’ of the dust jacket, to the stunning use of colour and black and white images within its numerous pages. Many of which have never previously appeared in book form before. It must be added though, that a considerable number of the 800 odd images used are album covers and picture sleeves, along with a smattering of single scans, and no, Frank Wilson is nowhere to be seen. Equally interesting are the odd bits of memorabilia, such as the ‘Motown Fan Bag’, concert posters, adverts and ‘HitKit’ magazine – anyone got a copy? From the opening pages it paints a picture of Detroit in those harsh mid-sixties days of segregation, before taking you on a whistle stop musical tour, criss-crossing the Atlantic, emphasising just how Britain embraced this new sound. Moving on from the thumping, dance floor friendly beat, to the funkier sounds of latter years. Well written by Adam White, former editor-in-chief of Billboard and Barney Ales, the one-time right hand man of Berry Gordy, the contribution of the latter giving it a big plus point, the book, however, unfortunately falls short of standing alongside the ‘warts and all’ titles previously published and tends to ignore the ‘also-rans’ amongst the all-star Detroit cast, dwelling on the big name stars perhaps a little too much. The contribution Holland-Dozier-Holland made to the success of the label is all but ignored, as is the equally telling support role of the Funk Brothers. While the likes of the Supremes, Temptations, Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, the Commodors and the Jackson Five feature strongly, others, such as Barbara Randolph, Kin Weston, Brenda Holloway, Jimmy Ruffin and the Velvelettes are conspicuous by their absence. Ok, they are far from being major players, but does Dusty Springfield deserve more mentions than Edwin Starr, Jimmy Ruffin, Kim Weston and the Contours put together? Even the Beatles receive more than twice the mentions than that illustrious quartet In all honesty, I do not think this book sets out to be anything like a definitive history of the label that we all love and know so well and as the Press Release states, it was “published to coincide with the opening of the critically acclaimed show “Motown: The Musical” in London’s West End”. Looking at it from this angle, it does the job for someone not overly familiar with the label and wanting to know more. From a personal point of view, I think an October/November release date would have been more beneficial sales wise, capturing the Christmas market, as many might find the cover price of £39.95 (which clearly reflects the overall quality of the publication), a little off putting for a story that they already know off by heart. However, I have found it priced on Abe Books at £24.23 or on Amazon at £25.97, which might make it that little bit more appealing. So, star rating time. Overall quality of the publication - 5* as this certainly cannot be faulted. Illustrations – Going to split this in two. 4.5* for the images used, some of which are excellent and for not using the same old, same old, but only 3* for the over heavy use of album covers and lack of images of some of the acts. Value for money – If you get it online at a reduced price – 4* Iain McCartney March 2016 added by site Hardcover: 400 pages Publisher: Thames and Hudson Ltd (14 Mar. 2016) Language: English ISBN 9780500518298 27.70 x 21.60 cm 1,000 illustrations in colour and black and white First published 2016 https://thamesandhudson.com/ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Motown-The-Sound-Young-America/dp/0500518297

WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? A biography by Alan Light and published by Canongate Books. The music of Nina Simone, born Eunice Kathleen Waymon, is known to everyone, although it wasn’t until the likes of ‘My Baby Just Cares For Me’ and ‘Ain’t Got No/I Got Life’ were used for advertising Chanel No.5 and Müller yogurts respectively, that many awoke to the music of the woman who reluctantly accepted the title of the ‘High Priestess of Soul’. Having taken to the piano at a very young age, Nina had set her dreams and ambitions on becoming a concert pianist, but much to her disappointment was rejected by the prominent Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. In her own mind, this was down the fact that she was black, not that she wasn’t good enough. This, added to the fact that her parents were once asked to move to the back of the hall when she gave her first piano recital could arguably be the sparks which ignited the flame for her long association with the American Civil Rights movement. But the concert halls loss was the smokey night club’s gain and from then on it was something of a maelstrom existence in both her musical and personal life as she looked for acceptance and love. Violence was often not far away, while audiences could never be certain if they would enjoy a night of her undoubted talent or the sharp end of her tongue. This book perhaps centres more on the problems of her personal life than her musical achievements, but then again, perhaps there is more of the former than the latter and they go a long way in explaining the problems that encircled her career. Her story was certainly one that I knew little, or perhaps more accurately, knew nothing about and upon reading the fourteen and a half page introduction, I thought I was in for something of a rollercoaster ride through the life and tumultuous career of a musical superstar. However, if I am totally honest, it left me slightly deflated, perhaps even assaulted by the events surrounding the life of a truly talented woman. There is little within this 320 page book to bring a smile to the face, as it is a sometimes harrowing story. But if biographies are your thing, or if you simply want to know more about Nina Simone, then this particular title is worth reading. Iain McCartney March 2015 WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? AUTHOR: ALAN LIGHT PUBLISHED: 3RD MARCH 2016 ISBN: 9781782118732 http://www.canongate.tv/what-happened-miss-simone-ebook.html Hardcover and ebook versions available http://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Happened-Miss-Simone-Biography/dp/1782118713/ Book Preview of What Happened, Miss Simone?